Are You Still Watching
by HerFairy
Summary: Lucy needs a break from her overbearing father. What better way than watching Netflix over someone's shoulder at the library?


**requested by anonymous. find me on tumblr as cupcakecana if you have any requests yourselves!**

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Her father has Lucy on a leash even halfway across Fiore and it's a little unsettling to the outside eye to see that he calls her the exact second glasses are supposed to end with a demand worded as a request. He only lets her go to school, really, so he can flaunt the fact that his daughter was getting a business degree to take over for him. Something to brag about to his friends.

It was strange, really, how she went from only worthy of marrying someone and granting him a grandson to the actual heir to his business. She doesn't quite know which one is better, really, because at least as a baby-making machine she was left to her own interests, as far as though interests didn't interfere with matchmaking.

Now, as an adult, she's stuck under his thumb worse than ever and it's only the creative writing classes that keeps her going. Maybe it's not polite to admit she'll skip out from under his thumb and out of school the moment she can't take them anymore, but she figures if he can bully her into attending school, she can damn well take a class she actually likes.

She's in the library now, her phone stubbornly buzzing on the desk in front of her, and she feels a trickle of exhaustion creep over her. Her day is class, business with her father, and then falling asleep in her bed - only to wake up abruptly at the reminder of all the homework awaiting her, but she digresses. The most important part of her wandering thoughts: she's _tired_.

She picks up her phone, scribbling a message to her father.

 _Father, I will be studying at the library for an important upcoming test and unable to attend the lunch with Mr. Everlue. Please send along my apologies and well wishes._

It's a lie in only the smallest test. She does have an upcoming test, just not for a few more weeks and that gives her plenty of time. She feels a little bad for fibbing, but when he sends his reply back - formal, but as positive as he could get - she can't feel anything except relief. She has a whole afternoon to herself. The first in ages, perhaps.

Except...

What do people do with their free time?

A man with shocking pink hair laughs obnoxiously, earning a jab and a shush to the gut from a friend sitting beside him. Both are sitting at the desk across from her, their backs to her, allowing her to only see pink hair and black hair. "Ouch, don't hit me, stripper, this is my computer!" The one with pink hair says.

Stripper scoffs. "Natsu, you're the one who is going to get us kicked out. Do you really want Erza to come over here?"

Pink haired man - Natsu - seems to acknowledge the threat as they both share a shiver, looking back at the computer. Natsu shifts a little, getting comfortable, and she can see his screen now. She doesn't recognize what it is, but she can see a television show playing and she leans forward, hands resting on her desk, to peek at the font playing across the bottom of the screen.

She can see some of it. Just not enough, but the flashing images of the crime show they watch is entertaining even without the words. She can't see names or dialogue, but she can read between the lines and she builds a story up herself, leaning forward in her seat to watch closely.

Minutes, hours, _days_ later, the one named Stripper stretches and she pouts when they shut off the show. It had just gotten to a good part and she wants to know what happens to the detective and her new, supernatural consultant. "Try not to be late for class, Flame Brain."

"Don't tell me what to do," Natsu grumbles, beginning to pack up his laptop and she gaps at his features. His messy pink hair is natural, of all the strangest things, but more than that, he's actually handsome and Lucy rarely thinks that about anyone, certainly not the people in her social circles. She can't tell how tall he is, but she can see his muscular arms as he puts his things away with long, graceful fingers and though he has a splattering of scars on his arms and one on his cheek, he's got a happy grin on his face despite his words, one that makes him all the more handsome.

She's still staring when he looks up, seeming to sense the eyes on him, and a mental yelp escapes her as she darts her gaze down to an opened notebook in front of her. It's only when his chair scraps and his footsteps disappear that she lets out a breath, cursing herself for falling into such a deadly trap as ogling.

His eyes are definitely the best part, a lively green, and only a split second of eye-contact led her to believe that he had little to no secrets in them. Like she was looking into his soul.

She slaps her heated cheeks, willing the blush to go down, but it's not like she'll ever see him again. There's no reason for her to worry so much about what he might think of her.

That's what she thinks until the next day when she sees him again. He's watching what she now knows is Netflix, his friend noticeably absent and his feet propped up on the chair across from him. She sends a text to her father, not even bothering to wait for his reply as she takes a seat near him; she can read the subtitles now and she conceals a smile, using her textbook as a shield. If he chances a glance, she's just coincidentally looking in his direction, she's definitely not borrowing his laptop screen for entertainment.

And, really, she thinks it's a little ridiculous that she's doing this. It would be easy to purchase Netflix and watch it herself - but there's a certain thrill in watching it with someone else. He gasps when something happens and her mind races to imagine the music that must accompany a scene. When he snorts, she has to bite her lip to hide a smile. She nearly ruins the whole thing when something bizarre happens to the consultant's brother and a giggle spills from her lips.

His gaze shoots to hers, but she's already holding her phone, pretending to skim a message that makes her laugh. He can't see that it's blank, she knows, and he turns his gaze back to the screen in time to see an explosion, one loud enough to mask her gasp of surprise.

It continues like this for several days, though the actual events take place over several weeks. Her test is nearly upon her and she has to sacrifice some of her library time to actually study, but when she sees him at his usual spot, sans laptop, she figures that she isn't missing anything. It's funny, really, when she realizes that he seems to only watch this particular show in the library because it always seems to start exactly where it stops the day before. She pretends its for her, but she knows that it's just a lucky break.

They are nearing the finale for season one and she bounces with excitement three days after her test. Campus is starting to wind down for the term and she just knows that he'll be in the library to watch the final episode. He has to be because she'll need another excuse if he isn't - her father only let her escape today when she told him she was speaking with a teacher about the year.

She enters the library, making a beeline for her spot. Generally, he's already there, doodling in a notebook while his Netflix loads, but today, his chair is suspiciously empty and she frowns, footsteps slowing to a trudge. Maybe she's early? Lucy really doesn't know his class schedule - she doesn't want to either, she's not a stalker, she's just... pretending to have a friend, which is even more pathetic than stalker, in her opinion.

She settles into her chair to wait. It's a Wednesday and loathe as she is to admit it, she knows enough about his classes to say that he's always here on Wednesdays.

So where is he?

Ten minutes pass, then thirty, then an hour, and then two hours. Her time is running out and her foot bounces with impatience and worry. She wants to say it's for missing out on the finale of her show, but it's really worry over him. Had something happen? She hopes not and wracks her brain for some news on campus, but she rarely pays attention to events unless her father wants her to reach out to the community and he hardly does.

Perhaps he watched it already, she thinks, her worry fading to annoyance. She shouldn't be, because he doesn't know that he can't watch it without her, but surely he knew. On a subconscious level at least! She's well into her own thoughts when he finally stumbles into his chair and she's standing up before she knows it, marching over to him.

"Did you watch the finale already?" Lucy asks sharply, hands on her hip. "What the hell, Natsu?"

Natsu blinks slowly at her, his laptop sitting on his desk, and it's only when a sudden grin blooms on his face that her anger drops like a ball, disarmed by the genuine happiness on his face. She swallows, face flushing as her words replay in her mind.

"I mean... That is... if you're..." Lucy stutters, pressing a hand to her cheek. He's laughing now, the type that makes someone want to join in, but all it does is make her cheeks redder. She's possibly resembling a tomato now. "Umm, I'm just going to go now."

"No, wait!" He stops her, taking her wrist gently and she lets out a breath as sparks dance across her skin at the contact. She lets him tug her closer, her fists clenched to hide the trembling in her fingers as he kicks the chair next to him out. Natsu fingers trail down her wrist to her hand almost absently when she sits down, as though he isn't aware that her heart is stuttering at the contact. "I was waiting for ya to say something, can't believe you waited till the last episode to introduce yourself. Kinda rude, if you ask me, you're basically acting like a leach, but it's funny when ya try to pretend that ya weren't watching."

She rubs her cheek with her free hand. "You knew? Since when?"

"Third episode, it was too much of a coincidence to see you here again, looking at me that way. And also you're book was upside down, I figured that wasn't normal," he admits almost sheepishly. She can't figure out why until a pink tinge appears on his face and she realizes that third time was, quite literally, weeks ago.

No wonder the font was bigger after that or that he was sitting differently, his shoulder no longer blocking a quarter of the screen. He knew she was watching - and he made it easier.

Lucy pulls her hand free to hide her face. Secretly, she's a little pleased that he didn't mind, but the larger part... "I'm so embarrassed."

Natsu laughs and she peeks out from between her fingers to study her face. Though his cheeks are still slightly pink, there's happiness on his face. "Nah, now we have the best meeting at this school. You're a stalker, I'm an enabler, see? Perfect."

"That's not a good thing!"

"Eh, let's not worry about specifics then. Let's watch this last episode already."

She peeks at her watch. "Don't you have class?"

"Nah, that's why I was late. Volunteered to meet my teacher early so he had less people to handle today. Didn't think the meeting would take so long, woulda been better off just going to class. At least we finally got to meet though!" He's awfully chipper and his good mood is contagious enough that she smiles back at him. "This friendship is off balance, by the way. Ya know my name, but I don't know yours."

It's not a subtle, but then she doesn't think he's a subtle person. His words and action thus far are proof enough of that.

"I'm Lucy. Lucy Heartfilia." She sticks out her hand, but he slaps a pair of headphones into her fingers instead of taking it. She blinks, puzzled, but then he points to his laptop.

"Now you can hear their voices. Better late than never, eh?" His laptop is shut, but he opens it; Netflix is already open, the episode waiting for them. She scoots her chair closer, pushing the headphone in as he hits play.

Natsu watches her carefully with a heat that makes her heart flutter, but as the music of the opening theme hits her ears for the first time, Lucy finds herself smiling.


End file.
